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Bias in political news coverage may have a profound influence on voter opinions and preferences. However, the concept of media bias actually encompasses different sub-types: Visibility bias is the salience of political actors, tonality bias the evaluation of these actors, and agenda bias the extent to which parties address preferred issues in media coverage. The present study is the first to explore how each type of bias influences party preferences. Using data from the Austrian parliamentary election campaign of 2013, we combine an online panel survey ( n = 1,285) with measures of media bias from content analyses of party press releases ( n = 1,922) and media coverage in eight newspapers ( n = 6,970). We find substantial effects on party preferences for tonality bias and agenda bias, while visibility bias has no clear impact. Voters who are less politically sophisticated and lack a party identification are more susceptible to bias, and media bias can also reinforce existing partisan identities.

We investigate user engagement with politicians' migration discourses on social media. In particular, we study the effects of message framing and support base attitudes on interactions on Facebook and Twitter in five European countries. Enriching automated analysis of social media content with survey data in a multilevel negative binomial regression approach, findings show that migration-related messages tend to elicit more interactions than other kinds of messages. Furthermore, the presence of a security frame in a migration-related message positively relates to user engagement. However, additional analyses suggest that the relevance of these frames differ between different political parties. In fact, a message gets an even higher number of interactions, when the dimension of the migration issue included in those framed messages is perceived more negatively by a party's support base. The findings have important implications for communication strategies of political actors and the state of migration discourses on social media.

We investigate user engagement with politicians' migration discourses on social media. In particular, we study the effects of message framing and support base attitudes on interactions on Facebook and Twitter in five European countries. Enriching automated analysis of social media content with survey data in a multilevel negative binomial regression approach, findings show that migration-related messages tend to elicit more interactions than other kinds of messages. Furthermore, the presence of a security frame in a migration-related message positively relates to user engagement. However, additional analyses suggest that the relevance of these frames differ between different political parties. In fact, a message gets an even higher number of interactions, when the dimension of the migration issue included in those framed messages is perceived more negatively by a party's support base. The findings have important implications for communication strategies of political actors and the state of migration discourses on social media.

We investigate user engagement with politicians' migration discourses on social media. In particular, we study the effects of message framing and support base attitudes on interactions on Facebook and Twitter in five European countries. Enriching automated analysis of social media content with survey data in a multilevel negative binomial regression approach, findings show that migration-related messages tend to elicit more interactions than other kinds of messages. Furthermore, the presence of a security frame in a migration-related message positively relates to user engagement. However, additional analyses suggest that the relevance of these frames differ between different political parties. In fact, a message gets an even higher number of interactions, when the dimension of the migration issue included in those framed messages is perceived more negatively by a party's support base. The findings have important implications for communication strategies of political actors and the state of migration discourses on social media.

Research designs require flexibility, and adjustments made to the designs do not always have to lead exclusively to disadvantages. In this research note, we would like to share our reflections on the impact of COVID-19 on the conduct of qualitative interviews with irregular migrants. Since these considerations were developed in close connection with one of our own projects, in which fieldwork is currently in the planning phase, we believe they may be relevant to similar projects. We include a brief remark on the current situation of irregular migrants in different (European) countries, as well as an assessment of the methodological feasibility of qualitative face-to-face interviews with irregular migrants and possible alternatives to this method such as remote and online interview formats. We conclude with insights on our recommendation to rely on a mixed-mode approach, which allows us to use various remote interview modes, thus providing the necessary flexibility to adapt to profound health and social crises such as COVID-19.

Abstract
The complexity and duration of the so-called 'European refugee crisis' created a climate of uncertainty, which left ample room for mass media to shape citizens' understanding of what the arrival of these refugees meant for their respective country. This study analyses the national media discourses in Hungary, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Spain for this time period. Applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modelling in five languages and based on N = 130,042 articles from 24 news outlets, we reveal country-specific media frames to track the overall course of the refugee debate and to uncover dynamics and shifts in discourses. While results show similarities across countries, due to media coverage responding to real-world developments, there are differences in media framing as well. Possible sources of these differences such as countries' geographic location or status as receiving country are discussed.

Political actors play an increasingly important role in the dissemination of political information on social media. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms why specific news items are shared with the support base instead of others. For a timespan between December 2017 and the end of 2018, we combine the analysis of Facebook content from 1,022 politicians associated with 20 political parties from Germany, Spain, and the UK, with an automated content analysis of media coverage from 22 major online news outlets, and survey data in a multilevel binomial regression approach. By comparing news items that have been shared by one or several political parties with news items that have not been shared by any of them, we overcome the selection biases of previous studies in the field of news dissemination. Findings show that a news item's likelihood to be shared by a politician increases (1) if that politician's party is mentioned in the news item, (2) the more salient their party's owned issues are in the news item, and (3) the more party supporters tend to read the news outlet in which the news item is published. We contextualize these findings in light of political actors' multi-faceted motivations for news sharing on social media and discuss how this process potentially reinforces an information bias that may contribute to the polarization and fragmentation of audiences.

Political actors play an increasingly important role in the dissemination of political information on social media. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms why specific news items are shared with the support base instead of others. For a timespan between December 2017 and the end of 2018, we combine the analysis of Facebook content from 1,022 politicians associated with 20 political parties from Germany, Spain, and the UK, with an automated content analysis of media coverage from 22 major online news outlets, and survey data in a multilevel binomial regression approach. By comparing news items that have been shared by one or several political parties with news items that have not been shared by any of them, we overcome the selection biases of previous studies in the field of news dissemination. Findings show that a news item's likelihood to be shared by a politician increases (1) if that politician's party is mentioned in the news item, (2) the more salient their party's owned issues are in the news item, and (3) the more party supporters tend to read the news outlet in which the news item is published. We contextualize these findings in light of political actors' multi-faceted motivations for news sharing on social media and discuss how this process potentially reinforces an information bias that may contribute to the polarization and fragmentation of audiences.

This comparative volume provides a comprehensive cross-national account of media coverage and public attitudes toward migration bothwithin and intothe European Union. Using empirical research from across Germany, Hunary, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, Media and Public Attitudes Toward Migration in Europe offers an in-depth exploration of one of the most prominent social and political topics of the decade in Europe. Drawing on a large scale, cross-national panel survey, experiments, and media content analysis of migration discourse in both traditional news media and social media, expert contributors from across the continent investigate topics such as the linguistic features of migration coverage, the public perception of migrants, and the effects of journalistic communication strategies. Other topics addressed include a discussion of news framing effects on migration coverage and politicians' postings on social media coverage about the issue. This is a valuable resource for academics, students, and policymakers interested in media coverage of migration, news framing effects, and public attitudes to migration generally..

Diese Untersuchung ergänzt die manuelle Inhaltsanalyse der der Medienberichterstattung zur österreichischen Nationalratswahl 2013. Die Schwerpunkte liegen hier auf politischen Akteuren, Themen und deren Bewertung. Untersucht wurden 8.998 Beiträge aus 14 Print- und TV-Medien (ausgewählt, um die österreichische Medienlandschaft möglichst akkurat zu repräsentieren) mittels manueller Inhaltsanalyse. Alle Beiträge nehmen entweder Bezug auf eine politische Partei oder einen politischen Kandidaten der österreichischen Nationalratswahl 2013. Alle Beiträge sind zwischen dem 18. August und 29. September 2013 (= Wahltag) erschienen. Artikel wurden von der APA Datenbank zur Verfügung gestellt.

Zentrale Variablen sind: Vorkommen von Parteien und Spitzenkandidaten sowie deren Bewertung; Bewertung und Vorkommen der Regierung; Bewertung und Vorkommen der Themen Wirtschaft und Zuwanderung; Vorkommen von Wahlkampfthemen und Frames in der Berichterstattung.

Themen: Schlagzeile; Verfasserzeile; Medium; Erscheinungsdatum des Beitrags; Uhrzeit; Seite; Vorkommen des Akteurs/ der Akteurin im Beitrag; Vorhandensein einer Aussage, die eine Tendenz gegenüber dem Akteur / der Akteurin aufweist; Gesamttendenz eines Beitrages (welchen Eindruck –positiv oder negativ– vermittelt der Beitrag über bestimmte Parteien, Politiker /Politikerinnen oder die Bundesregierung); Gesamttendenz eines Betrages (welchen Eindruck -positiv oder negativ- vermittelt der Beitrag hinsichtlich der Wirtschaftslage oder zur Lage des Zusammenlebens zwischen Österreichern und Zuwanderern bzw. der Zuwanderungssituation in Österreich und der Entwicklung in diesen Bereichen ; Vorkommen ausgewählter Themen im Beitrag (Finanz- und Eurokrise, Schule, Arbeitsmarkt und Arbeitslosigkeit, Immigration, Korruption und Korruptionsbekämpfung, Wohnen); Politik wird als Spiel- bzw. sportiv-wettkampforientiert vermittelt (Game-zentrierte Berichterstattung); mobilisierende Berichterstattung (z.B. Aufrufe und Appelle ); Beitrag beschreibt Einzelschicksale (Darstellungen oder Beschreibungen des Schicksals bzw. der Probleme einzelner, öffentlich nicht bekannter Personen); Informationsgehalt und Mehrdimensionalität: substantielle politische Informationen; im Beitrag werden mindestens zwei verschiedene Sichtweisen auf ein Thema oder einen Sachverhalt dargestellt und mindestens zwei verschiedene Argumente bezüglich eines Themas dargestellt ; Anzahl der unterschiedlichen Quellen oder Akteure, die im Originalton zu Wort kommen, d.h. direkt zitiert werden.

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